Mar 29, 2024  
2023-2024 General Catalog 
    
2023-2024 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences - MS


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Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences

The MS student focuses on core knowledge, best practices, current theories, and research. This program is unique from our other master’s programs because the student learns to conduct original research. These students often go into either academic careers or jobs that require, or benefit from, research skills.  The MS student will follow the USU Plan A format, graduate with research experience, and produce a final research thesis.

The Master of Science degree is available at Utah State University’s main campus or online. The MS degree is available to qualified students with bachelor’s degrees in any field. A minimum of 40 successfully completed credits is required within 6 calendar years. All students must complete the online Responsible Conduct of Research Social and Behavioral Module at http://research.usu.edu/irb/training.

Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower; Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Course Number Acceptability

The Program of Study for a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, if the student has a master’s degree, must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.

Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

USU Residency Requirement

At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University

Thesis Research Credits (6970)

The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires the preparation and defense of a thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 semester credits of thesis research (6970) with a maximum of 15 thesis credits applied toward a Program of Study.

Required Master’s forms:

Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies

  • Supervisory Committee
  • Program of Study
  • Thesis/Project Approval
  • Appointment for Examination
  • Record of Examination
  • SGS and library review & approval

Major Requirements


All courses require a grade of C or better and students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Planning sheets with course semester availability are available on the ITLS website.

Orientation (1 credit)


Tools and Professional Strand (3 credits)


Culminating Experience (6 credits minimum)


Elective Courses (12 credits)


Choose 4 electives (12 credits) from the list of electives below. Other electives may be chosen with program chair approval.

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